Fluid treatment of artificial-silk threads or filaments



April 7, 1931.

J.' BRANDWOOD FLUID TREATMENT OF ARTIFICIAL SILK THREADS OR FILAMENTS Filed Aug. 2

nr vu J. BRANDWOOD April 7, 1931.

FLUID TREATMENT OF' ARTIFICIAL SILK THREADS OR FILAMENTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2

FLUID 'IREJA'IMENTA OF ARTIFICIAL SILK THREADS OR FILAMENTS Filed AUE- 2, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fnven lor:-

Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH BRANDWOOD, F MANCHESTER, ENGLAND .'FLUID TREATMENT 0F ARTIFICIAL-SILK THREADS OR FILAMENTS Application filed August 2,1928,- Serial No. 297,022, and inl Great Brtain February 17, 1928.

Wound packages of artificial silk threads or filamentshereinafter called threads-for instance in the form of a spun cake as they come from a spinning frame, cannot be sat- I isfactorily treated with fluids under pressure, as the result of the pressure applied is to mat the threads together, and perfect desulphurizing, bleaching, dyeing, or other liquid treatment is out of the question by this method, whether the threads are in the form of a spuncake as aforesaid or in the form ofa package of threads Wound upon a bobbin as they come from the spinnerets, the form of wind of the threads being a close wind in each case without tension-as such term is understood in winding-on the threads.

The ordinary practice hitherto has been to reel the material into skeins from the cake or bobhin on which it has'been spun, so that it might be put through the processes of washing, desulphurizing, bleaching dyeing and the like, as in skein form these ltreatments are possible and this reeling, with a subsequent stretching process applied to the hanks duringdrying, add to the strength, lustre and elasticity of kthe threads. To secureA even treatment and to obtain this strength, lustre and elasticity, skeining has hitherto been unavoidable.

The object of the present invention is a means for treating a wound package of the threadsI in such a manner and in such a form that the matting together of the vsaid threads shall be effectually prevented and easy and even penetration of the fluid be assured, whethersuch fluid is employed forwashing, desulphurizing, bleaching, dyeing, drying or other operations. ,t The reeling of the threads into skeins with '40 the subsequent stretching and handling of the Amaterial in skein form is thus avoided, with saving of labor costs and also saving the high degree of waste which is inherent in skeining such a fragile thread as fan/artificial silk thread. According to the said invention the threads are wound upon a tubular perforated or like spool with an `open wind, which impartsa certain softness or resiliency to the wound package as a whole, as compared to a package as it comes from the spinning frame or to a package which has been Wound with,` a close or parallel wind, and the spool is then rotated around its axis at a speed suicient to set up an appreciable centrifugal force within the package itself, fluid being at the same time applied to the spool interior.

Due to the open wind the centrifugal force as stated has a certain physical effect on the package which does not obtain with a closely wound package or a spun cake, this effect being a tendency to Jforce the threads outwardly, thus keeping the interior of the package open for the ready passage of .fluid there# through and preventing matting `of the threads. Fluid applied to the interior of the package passes, as a result of the rotation of the said package readily therethrough. The

.windino tension to be applied to thevthreads during the winding on process may be any convenient and it will, as will be understood, '70 vary according to the precise nature and counts of the threads, and the wind itself must be such that unwinding to another form of wound package may 'take place when treatment is finished, whilst still leaving the package to be treated with a certain softness and resiliency which will allow it to be affected by centrifugal force as hereinbefore set forth. The wind may be a form of cross or like wind which will give the desired open wind result, so the thread traverse lguide, in the winding machine being set to give a rapid traverse, in ratio to the winding on speed .of the thread, -for the purpose. The expression open wind where'used in this specification and in the 85 claims'annexed thereto, is deemed to express this open wind with the desired softness and resiliency for the purpose of theinvention, with consequent physical effect on the threads as a resultof centrifugal`fo`rcey applied .to them in that wound form.

The. fluid when it is wash liquid or dye 'liquor may be applied to the inner face of the perforated spool in the form of a. spray, orl it may be applied in the'form of a wide jet '95 which, on impingin'g on'the perforations of the rotating spool will be broken Also, as the 'effect of the open wind above indicated is to allow liquid to pass very rapidl through the wound package, forthe best e l0@ fect and for rapid treatmentv the liquid is applied to the inner face of the perforated spool along the whole length thereof. The liquid is supplied to the inner face of the spool in such volume that it is absorbed by the package as supplied thereto, forcing of the j liquid against the threads being thus entirely absent. The same effect is obtained if the volume of liquid supplied is less than that which the Wound package as a package, in any given unit of time, is capable of absorbing. dien a liquid. is applied any portion of such liquid not immediately absorbed by the threads is radially ejected as a result of the centrifugal force.

As the absorption depends upon the speed of rotation and the centrifugal force thereby exerted on the thread mass itself in the package, the volume"Y of fluid supplied will depend upon the speed of rotation. With a wound spool of about 6 inches overall diameter I find a rotative speed of about 1000- 1300 revolutions per minute, with a suitable supply of Huid, very convenient.

Apparatus for carrying out the process may .take various forms after the package has been wound as hereinbefore indicated with an open Wind, so long as such apparatus allows 'of rotation of the package and its perforated spool holder with simultaneous supply of fluid to the interior of the spool. Such ap-4 paratus comprises therefore as its main features a rotatable holder on which a. spool may be mounted with means for securing the spool to the holder to rotate the former; and a pipe passing within the spool for the supply of liquid.

The process with convenient apparatus for carrying it into effect will now be fully de` scribed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show apparatus for the fluid treatment. In the drawings Figure 1 is a broken section of an apparatus for treating a plurality of Wound spools mounted upon a perforated horizontal spindle.

Figure 2 is a section of the supporting and driving means for treating a single wound spool, in an apparatus as shown in Figure 3 which illustrates an apparatus for separately treating a plurality of single wound spools and Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of the supporting means` for a liquor supply pipe in the apparatus of Figure 3,

The manner of winding the package to be treated has already been indicated, for the purpose of forming said package so that it will be amenable to treatment whilst still having sufficient tension to retain its form as a package for subsequent unwinding. The necessary tension for the building of the package may be applied in any manner suitable, forinstance by passing the thread to The perforated spool upon which the` threads are-wound may be of a. light but strong material such as ebonite but it may be of a non-corrodible metal or alloy and be lflanged. Preferably it is of large bore as compared Kto the thickness of thread mass wound thereon for the purposes of this invention, as if the thread mass is too thick the free exercise of the centrifugal force upon the said mass to produce the physical effect desired should be hampered. The spool itself forms per se no part of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1, bearings 6, 7 are provided in which are fixed ball bearings 8 and 9 the spindle 10 rotatable in the ball bearings 9 and having keyed or otherwise secured thereon a pulley 11 which is driven from any suitable driving shaft. The spindle 12 is recessed at 13. The bearings 8 and 9 are mounted upon the walls of a tank 14, which may be provided with a hinged cover indicated in broken lines at 15.

A perforated tubular spindle 16 is provided upon which the said spindle being removed from the apparatusmare mounted spools 17 With their wound packages A packing 18 is provided at each end, of ebonite, rubber or the like and when 'the desired number of. perforated spoolsv17 is mounted on the tubular spindle 16 the whole is screwed up by the screw cap 19. In mounting the spools 17 on the spindle 16, care is taken that the solid part of the spindle shall not obturate perforations in a spool, and the perforations in the Spindle 16 are therefore the same distance between centres as the perforations in a spool 17. The spindle thus being charged, it is fitted over the ball bearing 8 at one end on the bearing 6 its other end resting in the recess 13, a pin 20 being passed through a hole in the said spindle 16 and through holes `in the sides of such recess 13.

From a suitable supply tank of liquid- `With any known form of control and regulating valve or cocknot shown-a pipe is led to the interior of the tubular spindle 16 terminating in the pipe length 21 within such spindle. On the side adjacent to the inner faces of the perforated spools 17 this pipe length 21 is perforated withiine perforations, or it .may be slotted along that length to allow of the ejection of a jet of fiuid the length of such pipe but preferably narrow.

In operation, for instance for the washing of the packages, the pipe 21 is connect/ed to a Wash water tank. The valve being opened and the rotation of the spindle 16 being sii multaneously started, water flows through llO the orifices' in the pipe 21, or through the jet therein, and impinges upon the inner face of the perforated spool, entering the perforations in the said face and passing by the centrifugal force exerted upon the spool and package, radially through the latter. This passage, due to the nature of the winding, of the thread package is extremely rapid and is in fact, with a suitable thickness of thread mass, practically instantaneous. Liquid absorbed within the package but unabsorbed by the threads thereof is thrown outwardly from ,the exterior of the package and collects in the tank in which the spindle is situated, being l of air may be provided. In practice however the spray or jet as above described is found satisfactory.

- It will be seen that as the treatment with any liquid is the same, and as'atmospheric air can be admitted to the tubular spindle 16, any desired sequence of operations, washing, air treatment, bleaching, etc., can be carried out without removing the spools 17 and their thread packa-ges when once placed in lthe tank. The spindle 16 may if desired-be reduced in length to take only one perforated spool 17 and its wound package with the end closers 18 and securing means.

When the treatment or any 'sequence of treatments is completed the spindle 16 is removed from the tank, and the spools removed therefrom for final drying by any suitable means as for instance in a drying chamber.

For treatment with gases, the latter may L be admitted to the interior of the perforated tubular spindle 16 and be passed through the package by centrifugal force. as described with'reference to atmospheric air. Liquid and air, or liquid and gas, may if desired at any time be passed through together, as will be obvious from the description of the apparatus hereinbefore given.

Where it is desired to rotate a perforated spool and its wound package around a vertical axis the closing and securing means above described with reference to Figure 1 may be substituted by the apparatus shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 now to be described. In'

these figures the driving spindle is vertical with a pulley 11 as before, and the fixed base 22 is provided within the tank 14 with a support 23 for a perforated spool 17 to which support the spool may be secured-by spring catches 24 fixed to such support and engaging a flange 25 of the spool. Ball bearings 26 and 27 are provided to allow of easy rotation of the spindle 10 and support 23 and these two members may be solid with each other or may be securable and detachable by means of a bayonet joint at 28. r1`he end of the perforated spool may be closed by means Vof the rubber or analogous washer 29 on which it is seated, this washer being preferably permanently attached to a circular flange 29 of the support 23. l

In'thismodification the removal of the spray or like pipe 21 is necessary to put a spool 17 into position or remove it. The supply pipe from a liquid tank may therefore be flexible and be supported by the holder as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Mountedupon the edge of the treatment tank 14 are the vertical rods 31` one opposite each spool position and a horizontal rail 32 is supported upon these vertical rods 31. Loosely mounted upon the said vertical rods 31 is a boss 33 to which is pivoted at 34 an arm 35 having a;forked end 36 which supports the liquor supply pipe 21, being held in position by the screw 37. The whole thus forms a universally jointed arm which allows the pipe 21'-held thereby to be. moved over the spool and downwardly Within it, and to be removed from the spool when desired.

To place the spool in position it is, after it has been wound, placed on the washer 29, the spring catches 24 yielding or being pressed outwardly to allow of this, and engaging the flange 25 of the spooll as before explained by their spring pressure.

The pipe 21 is then swung up around, and downwardly to rest within the spool. Rotation of the latter and its package and simultaneous supply of liquid to the pipe 21 are then carried out exactly as before explained the flexible tube 3() being connected to lany tank, or to a series of tanks in succession, for the supply of the necessary treatment liquid, and any air or other treatment being also given. When treatment is finished the operator lifts the pipe 21 out and moves it to its out of o eration position; opens the spring catches 24 y means of thumb or finger projections thereon, und lifts the spool out,y

tubular perforated spool with an open Wind which Will give a softness and reslliency to the package for the 'purpose set forth, rotating the spool and its borne wound package at a high speed around itslongitudinal axis, and simultaneously applying liquid to the inner face of the spool, this liquid being supplied to the spool per unit of time in avo1ume Which is not greater than the volume of liquid 1Q which may be absorbed by the package in the said time unit.

2. A process for the treatment of artificial silk threads with Huids, consisting in Winding the threads in a Wound package upon a tubular perforated spool with an open Wind which will give a softness and resiliency to the package for the purpose set forth, rotating the spool and its borne Wound package at a high speed around its longitudinal axis,

and simultaneously applying liquid equally along the Whole length of the inner face of the spool, this liquid being supplied to the I spool per unit of time in a volume which is not greater than the Volume of liquid which may be absorbed by the package in the said 'time unit.

3. .A process for the treatment of artificial silk threads with fluids, consisting in winding the threads in a Wound package upon a tubular perforated spool With an open `Wind which Will give a softness and resiliency to the package for the purpose set forth, rotating the spool and its borne Wound package at a high speed around its longitudinal axis, and

simultaneously applying liquid equally along f the Whole length of the inner face ofthe spool from a stationary tube around which the spool rotates, this liquid bein supplied to the spool perunit of time in a vo urne which 4.o is not greater than the volume of liquid which may be absorbed by the package in the said 'time unit.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setv my hand. JOSEPH BRANDWOOD. 

